Month: March 2017

I was delighted and excited to learn the colour I painted my own sitting room (with much nervousness as it is such a dark colour) just before Christmas was up there . However since the day the first coat was added, I’m in love! I asked everyone I knew to assess the 17 paint swatches on the wall , all in dark shades, and the general opinions were ‘are you mad’ and ‘oo, wont it make the room dark’ Turns out yes I am a bit mad when it comes to colour, but better that than dull , and if it does make the room appear darker, its only for the good, as its so cosy. My lesson learned from this one 1. trust your instincts 2. do you really need peoples opinion, if the live in magnolia land? find someone who shares your style to help choose colours.

t especially suits high ceilings, and rooms you hunker down in on an evening as it wraps you in warmth, but even if you don’t have a high ceiling, or you’re a little nervous about strong colours, try it on a feature wall, behind a shelf recess, or on a chimney breast. I promise you’ll be smitten like I was!

For the lighter option, they have also named ‘All white’ as a top choice for 2017, this is one of the closet shades to white you can get , with a bit of character thrown in and suits both neutral and calm interiors, as well as rooms where the art of furniture need to be allowed to take centre stage.

All White Painted Room

This is also a great colour for paintwork, if you don’t want the day glow white look, it has a clean look, but with a less brash glow. Perfect for windowsills, skirting, door frames, and painted floorboards

Hi, I am Anna , the founder of Melody Maison , a leading UK based Shabby chic & French style interiors company.

When I am not running the business, (and our sister companies Flora Furniture And Windsor Browne) I am usually found either with my family, or pursuing my interiors passion in one way or another. I can often be found searching for vintage finds, or re-decorating a room (i do this a lot, I must be infuriating to live with!!) One thing I am passionate about is creating not only unique, but also affordable interiors.

My blog will include the stuff that inspires me, that I hope will in turn will inspire and interest you, like the places I see, my own home, bargain home finds, my vintiquing passion, ideas for room decor, vintage homes, but also I write about my journey from Mom to large scale business owner

So welcome to my home, my ideas, and my world of running a successful interiors company. hope you will come along for the ride

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, the name ‘parrots in the parlour’ relates to my current decorating fetish for ornamental critters,at the moment I have several ornamental parrots adorning my sitting room!

As people who know me well will testify, I am a grade A ‘housey stuff’ person!

My home is very busy with trinkets, ornamentation and colour, vintage and new.

I’m afraid my need to fill surfaces is an addiction, which means I do spend a lot of time re-arranging, and adding more to collections.

I don’t collect or choose one thing or style of things, Id be in trouble if I had to, as some days I want quirky critters and strange dolls, and others, I want delicate vintage glassware and pretty flowers. So heres my blog. Read on to see some of my collections (I guess I am what they politely call ‘eclectic’ in taste!)

Sadly this addiction does not always always run to dusting it, so no prizes for dust and cobweb spotting on my own pics- anyway I like to think they add to the theatre and ambience of a collection! (this is my excuse, you are welcome to use it also!)

And just for a laugh…..here’s where it all started, this is 14 year old me, in my bedroom at home that I decorated from scratch , by myself, paid for it, made it, all me! (who else goes out and buys there own bedroom carpet with there own money at 14? I clearly got way too much pocket money!) This was the 80’s when a primary colour coupled with white was the only way to go….

My First project – be kind it was the 80s

Then in the 90’s I got my first home, it was all about flowers back then, small ones, big ones, and of course the shiny pine (this will make a come back on the next 10 years, things always do, but not sure I’ll be queuing up for that)

What hasn’t changed since the 80’s or 90’s though is my need to shop the way I do, I would spend a small fortune on one roll of stunning wallpaper back when I didn’t really have the money to do so, but equally, I would make stuff, forage in charity shops and jumbles sales and up-cycle. In this respect , nothing has changed, this is who I am today, and whilst I might not have to forego a night out for a new wall like I did back then, I still get a massive thrill from finding a bargain, or making something myself.

The 90’s Look

Skip forward a few years, and here’s just a small sample of what me tick, from the quirky to the pretty. Let me know what you think, and what you love to group together, I would love to know, and read on for regular posts of my home, my interior finds, and of course as an owner of a 3 on-line interiors brands, the stuff I get to see and learn on my buying expeditions for Melody Maison, Windsor Browne, and Flora Furniture.